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 Topic: eBay Electric Hook-Up
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26/8/2006 at 9:17am
Location: Stoke-on-Trent
Outfit: Gelert Cyclone 6
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Joined: 03/8/2006 Standard Member
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Hi Chesters4
Yes you can make 'non-UK' products work on the UK system using adaptors. The UK wiring regulations are not harmonised with Europe, that is why it is referred to as BS7671, not BS EN 67671 or something similar, so our plugs differ from theirs etc.
The U.S. uses a 110V supply because they have a lot of wooden houses and the lower voltage reduces the risk of fire. The lower voltage also reduces the risk of shock, so their safety regulations are not a strict as ours.
Many European countries (all now harmonised at 230V) have appalling wiring standards, relying on RCD devices to trip in the event of faults. Our UK system traditionally uses Earth continiuty for protection of what we call 'Class I' equipment, such as a PC. In this case, using a lead with no Earth connector such as a shaver socket (which is an adapter for a 'Class II' device having no parts which may become live in the event of a fault and therefore requires no Earth) will operate the PC but offer no protection against electrocution. This may be fine in your home; if you get electrocuted it would probably be recorded as misadventure, the same trick at work would be manslaughter, so not quiet as legal as you might expect!
So just because something fits, or you can buy an adaptor which will change 'this to that' does not make it safe or legal. However, you are correct that most of these adaptions are not covered by the wiring regs par se.
With regards to connecting leads on equipment it is illegal to sell a portable electrical device (pc, hairdryer, washing machine, tv, etc) without a fitted 3 pin UK plug, so there should be no need to use the foreign lead that may also come with the equipment.
The ehu is treated differently because it is not a connection made using a "UK 3 pin plug", and is therefore not a portable device by definition, so on connecting it up you are extending a fixed installation - almost similar to adding extra spurred sockets to a ring main. It is also made to carry an electric supply to a high risk area (tent) and as such is covered by BS7671.
The trouble with any regulation or standard is that you will often come across situations the regulations don't specificallly cover (eg. tents), or one standard will contradict another. In this case, you need to interpret what is required from what is covered in the standard. In the case of BS7671 you could pose the question to the Institute of Electrical Engineers.
With regards to Ebay, my experience is that they spend more effort protecting the big brands names than they do policing products that may be unlawful or dangerous. Maybe they have some arrangement with them?
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